Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-30
PROGRESSIVE FARMING.
IAe Co1so u tho DinsasasenesIoa Exhtanl
Among EArRers' soma

PROGRESSIVE FARMING.
Among FArners' S0aA
Young men abandon farming. mainly
because the old plans of conducting
farming operations are too closely i'd
hered to. and yield inadequate net r.
turns upon labor performed There is
really no charm in farming. because no
ease. leisure or profit are afforded until
the land is in grass. or mainly 50; and
grass husbandry is rarely met with;
that is, to the extent and reduced to
that system. and productive Of that
| quality and quantity in the product
that insures an easy life to the owner.
and profitable returns. by reason of his
being able to carry large stock upon
it Young men in these days. having
educational and other advantages. not
known on the average farm twenty-five
years ago. desire some leisure for i'm
provement and recreation, and the
farm that is mainly devoted to grain
growing does not and can not give thu
leisure The continuous and exhaust
i've labor. with the usual meagre profit.
even if there is any profit at all causes
many young maA to turn his back
upon the farm. and when this step Is
taken. he seldom returns.
There are plenty of young men who
have the industry and talent necessary
to succeed with live stock. breeding
the higher classes of improved stock.
or else the rearing Of stock for feeding
as taste may dictate, who are annually
leaving the homestead. simply because
the taste and talent possessed is not
brought into action and developed. The
presence Of good in country. take any
State as an example, is notable. not
on account Of its presence. but of its
absence. Take the country over. and
there are but few counties in every
State that furnish more than a very
limited number of exhibition animals
of either of the improved breeds. This
leaves the major proportion of the
young men on farms entirely de-
prived of influence and opportu-
mites that are calculated to make
them prefer farm life. Due credit
is not given to the fact that live stock
farming is entitled to rank among the
more attractive and entertaining pur-
suits of men. Commercial avocations
are comparatively plodding and COM
monplace. Those engaged in these
pursuits can have but little pleasure in
the business, outside Of the mere feat
ure of money-making. This is the
prospect before the young man who
seeks the city in search of employment
more remunerative and more agree
able than the farm affords To .
young man so constituted as to enable
him to see something of interest in the
growth and development Of the higher
classes Of farm animals. and who takes
an inte, est in making improvements in
these, through selections for coupling,
there is wide field for instruction and
entertainment which in commercial
pursuits is lacking.
1t is an error to suppose that young
man with moderate means can not
own and properly raise the better class
es Of animals. A man does not re-
guire to own . hundred head of cattle
or horses that he may be sure of pos
sessing show herd. He can as well
possess . model animal. and one that
will in every way interest him. if he
is able to own but few. The smith
at the village can make as good horse
shoe as that turned out by factory
of the larger class. 1t is not the num-
Der Of articles of given kind that .
man makes, or causes to be made, that
tests his skill. for this is effectively
shown in limited number possessing
symmetry and durability. The same
rule applies to breeding. and If a young
man has taste for the business and
possesses judgment and skill, he can
select and buy. and breed as perfect
animals AS are in the collection of his
neighbor who owns hundred head.
1t will be found that much grass and
little grain growing will prove to the
sons upon the farm as well as those in
charge within doors, that farm life can
be stripped of its old-time severe bur-
dens The farm animals. when given
the opportunity, are self-tenders. and
the equal of the wild beast upon the
plain in helping themselves to food
placed within their reach While the
owner rests or sleeps. assimilation and
growth goes on, but in commercial
pursuits this is not the case. In this
business there is quite often an in
crease in bad debts, and these help ma
terially to account for the very large
proportion of those who. sooner or
later. fail in business. 1t is not the
proportion Of those who succeed in
gaining wealth in the cities. that en-
tees young men into the vortex where
50 many are swamped. but rather. as
mentioned, the laborious drudgery of
farm life as heretofore. and still too
much practiced. Modern views and
modern literature upon farming and
hroaJ;or ~ hoodod w;l1 v,O;pf ont q